Coupling of Reformatsky Reagents with Aryl Chlorides Enabled by Ylide-Functionalized Phosphine Ligands
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.: RESOLV members Prof. V. Gessner and Prof. L. Gooßen's demonstrates that the coupling of aryl chlorides with Reformatsky reagents is a desirable strategy for the construction of α-aryl esters by overcoming the limitations by the tailoring of ylide-functionalized phosphines to fit the requirements of Negishi couplings.
This study focuses on overcoming challenges in coupling aryl chlorides with Reformatsky reagents and exploring new ways to expand the scope of Negishi couplings, particularly using ylide-functionalized phosphine ligands. Key findings include the development of a high-performance cyclohexyl-YPhos ligand that enables efficient, room-temperature Pd-catalyzed couplings of aryl chlorides, overcoming previous substrate limitations. The method also demonstrates broad functional group tolerance and selective coupling over electrophiles like triflates.
